The present invention relates to a card printer that will receive identification cards of a range of sizes and shapes and feed them through various stations, for not only printing information on the card in several colors, such as a photo, name, address and the like, but also encoding a magnetic strip on the card and adding in a program into an embedded chip for xe2x80x9csmart cardxe2x80x9d status.
Presently personal identification cards are carrying more and more information. While magnetic strips have long been used on identification cards, the so called xe2x80x9csmart cardxe2x80x9d require encoding particular information into a chip on the card so that it can be read for identifying and providing information about the party holding the card. Also, smart card information can be used for authorizing transactions through remote network systems or the like. In order to be effective, the cards have to be processed rapidly and at low cost. The encoding process also has to be accurate.
The present invention relates to a self contained printer that is very compact, and includes card feeding transfer rollers on opposite sides of a printing head that has a powered platen against which the card can be pressed when the printing occurs. One or more stations for encoding information may be provided. For example, one or both of the stations needed for encoding a chip on a smart card or for adding magnetic information on the magnetic strip may be provided. These stations are provided adjacent to each other near the output end of the printer.
The operations on the card are sequenced, so that the card will be introduced into transfer rollers, and a central control for the system senses the presence of a card and powers suitable stepper motors for driving of the card to its various locations. A platen roller for the printing head, the smart card encoding station and the magnetic strip encoding station are all centrally controlled. Optionally, either one or both of the smart cards or magnetic encoding stations may be provided. The smart card encoder has a sensor that senses when a card is in a proper or home position for encoding. In order to encode the chip on the card, an array of contacts that transfer information from an input program in the central control to the chip on the smart card is positioned in a housing above the plane of the normal movement of the card, and a cam will bend the card upwardly into a home position. When it is sensed that the card is in home position, the encoding occurs.
The encoding is carried out for a selected length of time and then the cam that bends the card is moved so that the card again assumes the planar position, and is driven back to the station for engaging a magnetic encoding head. The same drive shaft as used for the smart card cam drives a leaf spring to push the magnetic encoding head into position for encoding the magnetic strip on the card. The magnetic encoding process is carried out using information from the central control along the length of the card by moving the card across the head. The card length is determined by the driving of the card past a sensor when the card is initially introduced into the printer. The magnetic head is then retracted and the card is placed into a printing station and the print head is lowered to working position. The card is printed in selected colors by making multiple passes in a normal manner. After printing, the card is driven out of the printer into a storage bin or area.
The printing head is urged under spring load to move toward its printing position and is held in a raised position by a cam during operations on the card other than printing, such as encoding.